Tutorials and Articles

You may know the highly regarded CTRL+Console app that enables your iPad to work as a control surface for Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro 7 and X, and others. Developer Jeff Chow isn't a software guy, but a creative professional who found he could build a gestural interface more quickly than he could master an NLE. Equally impressive: the funding for turning his idea into a product came from a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its goals. Here, Jeff offers powerful, proven tips for crowdfunding success that will help you in your own campaigns.

An explosive shockwave. Think you've seen it all before? Not until Simon Ubsdell has shown you how to take advantage of unique tools in Apple Motion 5 to make your own. Simon's experience has been built over 25 years in motion graphics, sound design and mixing, music composition, visual effects and compositing, as well as writing, directing and producing. Follow him as he takes you deep inside keyframes, caustics, camera behaviors, and customizations, as well as sharing real-world tips for finding your way around Motion.

Comedian and actor Kevin Pollak talks about directing and editing his documentary "Misery Loves Comedy", a film that explores the darker side of comedians. After three software lessons from editor (and renowned VFX supervisor) Rob Legato and ten months at the console, Pollak has some new insight about the cross-over between stand-up comedy and editing.

Cinematographer Mandy Walker joins UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television as a Kodak Cinematographer in Residence, teaching the next generation of film students what it means to be a successful director of photography.

Director Ridley Scott's latest epic 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' takes a gritty approach to a biblical story, and colorist Stephen Nakamura helped expand the realistic look by working closely with Scott and DP Dariusz Wolski ASC, and by grading the film in DaVinci Resolve 11 using new tools to help push the 3D grade while preserving highlights.

Oscar-nominated film editor Dody Dorn is best known for her work on films like 'Memento' and 'End of Watch', with her latest film 'Fury' involving 16 Avids across two continents. Working her way up from switchboard operator, Dody brings decades of experience to the edit, with a personal advocacy for taking career risks and accepting any opportunity.

HP announced major updates at CES 2015, including thin and light mobile workstations, new mini desktops for any room in the house, and enhance displays featuring curved, 4K and 5K panels and virtual reality capabilities.

Creative COW's Walter Soyka has been using the Boris Continuum Complete plug-ins for years, and now takes a look at BCC 9. His conclusion: it's exactly what a plug-in set should be, adding power and creative options, saving time, and a strong value. Available for every major NLE, After Effects, and Resolve, you'll want to take a look at Walter's experience yourself.

In the first of what will be an ongoing series, "Title Animation: WELD" uses the particle system in Apple Motion, as well as support for EPS outlines, to create the photo-real impression of a title burned onto the screen with a blowtorch, complete with sparks and smoke. Part 1 covers the set-up ,including a stop in Adobe Illustrator, and Part 2 features the compositing, lighting, and filtering finesse to really make it pop.

Editors William Goldenberg and Tim Squyres discuss the process of co-editing Unbroken, the Angelina Jolie directed war drama, including constructing challenging sequences, working with an actor-director, and knowing when a scene feels right.

Editor Bryan Capri's shift from editing corporate training videos and independent films to crafting TV movies for SyFy and Lifetime was no accident: hard work and a positive attitude were everything as he found himself cutting films and designing workflows for major networks.

Adobe Extract, released in August 2014, is a feature in Photoshop 2014 CC, Dreamweaver 2014 CC and Creative Cloud that has the potential to transform the way web designers and developers work together. If the designer does have a Creative Cloud membership, it opens up a new possibility: uploading a PSD file (one received via email, for instance) to Creative Cloud and getting the assets and CSS information out to to your project.

Boris FX, makers of VFX plug-ins and integrated workflow solutions including Boris Continuum Complete, have signed an agreement to acquire Imagineer Systems, makers of mocha Pro. The two will combine for a tremendous reach in the editing, motion graphics, and VFX communities, and have already begun work on joint projects and technologies.

Oscar-winning film editor William Goldenberg has cut his fair share of tension, including Zero Dark Thirty and Argo. On The Imitation Game, he crafts the story of Alan Turing's race to crack the Engima code, sharing his creative approach to constructing a scene and working with high-level directors.

One of the most complicated projects yet undertaken by Creative COW Contributing Editor Kylee Wall: an unscripted web series called Arson Dogs, which featured massive multi-clips, 8 dog handlers, 3 trainers, and a whole lot of very enthusiastic dogs. Adding to the complexity: because it was for the web, Kylee had to come up with her own structure and pacing for the show itself, as well as the individual episodes, and still turn it around in a very tight timeframe.

People have been asking advice from television online editor and frequent Creative COW contributor Scott Freeman on what to do when an Avid video mixdown is going to be used as a source for DaVinci Resolve.Here are his thoughts on how to get in on the fun of linking metadata to essence.

The 25-year career of 16-time Emmy winner Jim Jorden began with NFL Films, and included 7 years creating programs for NASCAR before returning to football. Along the way, he has led the production of 69 new series on 20 networks, winning Emmys for his work as a cameraman, an editor, and an executive producer. He brings every bit of that experience to bear on "The Drive: PAC-12 Football," now in its second season. It's the first show to cover an entire season, week by week, combining the classically cinematic approach Jim took to his work for NFL Films, and the all-access approach he pioneered with his work on Hard Knocks. You won't want to miss this remarkable look at full-contact TV production.

4K isn't just part of some theoretical future. 4K production is here now, and there are some very affordable approaches for low- and no-budget indie filmmakers. Veteran producer and professional limit-pusher Al Caudullo put together a piece on the heritage of Angkor, Cambodia, and for us, has put together the list of the tools he actually used for this amazing project that are quite likely well within your reach. Even the photos that accompany this story have a lot to offer!

With the accessibility offered by ever more affordable tools, it has never been easier to make an Indie feature. This essay by President and Co-founder of the Digital Cinema Society, James Mathers, discusses the distribution of an indie feature and how the filmmakers brought "Why We Ride" to life.

One of the biggest "issues" people coming from other NLE's still seem to have with FCP X is how the Timeline works. Magnetism! No Tracks! Weird Snorkel Things! Storylines?! It's Crazytown! If you fall into this category, we have two suggestions for you. 1) Read this article by Creative COW's Charlie Austin. 2) Don't fight the timeline! Even experienced X-ers are going to have fun with this one.

Storage and data management company NetApp announced a set of tools to enhance cloud services, including a more efficient operating system with simple tools to manage data on Amazon Cloud web services.

While some would call family life in the midwest a challenge to making movies, writer/director Zack Parker has made deliberate choices in his career and has some great advice for aspiring filmmakers as his fourth feature, "Proxy", hits Netflix and DVD.